Archive of Our Own

Cops and Robbers

The first time he had contacted the lead investigator of his case, Magnus had mostly done it for ‘shit and giggles’, as Ragnor had so uncouthly put it. 

But Magnus maintained that he had a reputation to uphold, and what better way to establish yourself as the master thief you are, than to play around a little with the law enforcement officers hot on your trail? Or more accurately, who wished to be hot on your trail. Magnus was far too good to be easily followed. Though the delightful Agent Alexander Gideon Lightwood had come refreshingly close on a few occasions.

But that came later. The very first time that Magnus had learned about who had been put in charge of finally bringing in the ‘High Warlock of Brooklyn’ (the moniker he had given himself and was quite proud of), he had allowed himself a bit of fun. 

And while most people, (aka boring people like Ragnor and Raphael. … And Cat, but he would never say that to her face.), would claim that calling up the person trying to arrest you and taunting them about what you had just stolen was “A completely idiotic thing to do! Have you lost your mind?!”, well, they simply didn’t have his flair for the theatrics. 

Anyway, after Magnus' “official” introduction to Agent Lightwood via the line
“Guess what I just stole today.”
and Alexander’s answering line of
“If this is a prank call, I feel the need to make you aware that you just confessed a crime to a federal agent.”,
a routine had formed.

“Guess what I just stole today.”

“Bane. I’m not too fond of guessing games. Why don’t you just tell me where you are, give back whatever you stole, and we will work out a reduction of your sentence based on your cooperation?”

“Trying to keep me on long enough for your tech guys to track the call? How adorable. Tell you what, if they actually manage to do that, I will leave my ill-gotten gains behind for you to find, as you will no doubt race to this place to incarcerate me.”

“How about staying there yourself, so that I don’t have to chase after you?”

“Being chased by a man with such a nice voice isn't exactly a deterrent to me, you know?”

“Flirting is gonna get you nowhere.”

“Is tracking the call getting you anywhere?”

“... Since you are unlikely to currently be in the middle of the Atlantic ocean, no. I would ask how you are doing this, but I doubt you would tell me.”

“A magician never reveals his tricks. So, back to our little game. Know what I stole, yet?”

“Not gonna give me any hints?”

“Ah, so you do want to play. Let’s see how much you have familiarized yourself with the many, many files I’m sure your department has on me. The thing I stole has the same color as the eye shadow I was wearing, in that low-quality photo your Australian colleagues managed to get of me, at that underground party I attended in Canberra in November 2009. The rubies decorating its sides are very similar to the ones I stole in my first major heist, in Sydney that same year. Which was actually the reason I was in the country to begin with, and got myself an invite to that underground party, funnily enough. And for your final clue, it was crafted by the same masterful hands that also created something else I stole, about three years back, which earned me my rightful place on that list of ‘Most Wanted’ in the ‘Non-Dangerous Criminals’ section you have circling around your offices.”

“... So what I just got from that, is that you know about at least some of the information we have on you, are familiar with at least one of our interdepartmental wanted lists, and are apparently so confident in your ability to evade the law, that you aren’t even trying to hide your crimes.”

“I have always appreciated honesty. I believe it to be the most important pillar in every relationship.”

“A thief that values honesty. Guess I have seen it all now.”

“And have you figured out the answer to my initial question yet?”

“The Mortal Cup. Three years ago, the theft of The Mortal Mirror propelled you from being just ‘on our radar’ to being one of our ‘most wanted’. Both pieces were crafted by Raziel Angelus in the late 1800s. The rubies set into the sides of the cup are the same type that were stolen from a museum in Sydney, in October 2009. The cup itself is made of an aluminum silver alloy, which is roughly the shade of your eyeshadow in that photo, which was the only thing actually visible in that grainy mess.”

“... Okay, I’m back. My apologies, I didn’t expect you to be tall, dark, handsome, and this smart. You have me almost swooning, Agent Lightwood.”

“As I said before, flirting is gonna get you nowhere.”

“Playing hard to get, hm? I do love a challenge.”

And so it went on.

“Guess what I just stole today.”

“Bane? It’s 4 am, what could you have possibly stolen already?”

“Aside from your beauty sleep? Which, by the way, you really have no need for that, you are already gorgeous enough. I tend to get a little excited after a successful job, but I do apologize for waking you so early.”

“How about you make it up to me by handing yourself in?”

“I don’t feel that bad about it.”

And on.

“Guess what I just stole today.”

“I don’t need to guess, it’s all over the news!”

“Huh. I didn’t think the news would be so interested in a simple cupcake theft.”

“Cupcake? What? I’m talking about the Edom painting!”

“Oh, that. Yeah, I stole that, too. And on my way back, I finally got one over on that crotchety, racist, homophobic, and all over unpleasant baker who unfortunately makes the best cupcakes this side of Manhatten.”

“... You called me about stealing a cupcake?”

“Don’t make it sound so ridiculous. As much of a horrible person she is, she is incredibly observant. Especially if you enter her shop as anything else but a white heterosexual. It took me almost a full week of daily interaction with the witch to get enough of a read on Iris Rouse to swipe a coffee cream cupcake from under her demonic gaze.”

“Great, now I’m hungry.”

And on.

“Guess what I just stole today.”

“Iris Rouse.”

“Not what I expected your first guess to be, but unfortunately for you, I steal things, not people. So you guessed wrong.”

“She was running an adoption scheme. Smuggling little orphaned children from third world countries into the US, and selling them to people that had previously been rejected by adoption agencies. She was using her shop to launder the money from that operation.”

“...So I was right, she truly was a demon.”

“You told me her name. You have only ever alluded to other people, but never let a name slip. You must have known that I would investigate her, if only for the chance that it might somehow lead me to you. Did you know what she was doing?”

“Whatever do you mean?”

“Bane.”

“... I didn’t know. But her shop is in the middle of a district that’s heavily populated by people of different ethnicities. And given the many veiled racist comments she made to me directly, I wondered how she was managing to have kept her business there for as long as she apparently had. Alienating your customers isn’t usually a good business strategy. Add to that the suspicious looking men that would sometimes hang around, or vanish into the back as soon as I stepped in…
All I had was a bad feeling about something going on, but I didn’t know what that was.”

“So you called me and worked in her name, hoping I would take the bait.”

“I’m glad it worked.”

“Me too.”

“The children?”

“Rouse kept very detailed accounting on all her dealings. We were able to secure the last of the kids just this morning. They are all being taken great care of at a center specializing in helping children like them recover here in the city.”

“Good. That’s- that’s really wonderful. I-”

“Are you crying?”

“Happy tears, I assure you. I have always been a sucker for a Happy Ending. But still not something I feel comfortable with making you endure over the phone. So I will just hang up now.

“Magnus?”

“... I think that’s the first time you called me by my name.”

“Thank you.”

“No, Alexander. Thank you .”

And on.

“Guess what I just stole today.”

“Well, it wasn’t the Edom painting, as you stole that one about three weeks ago. Did you know it’s worth about two hundred thousand dollars on the black market?”

“I did know that! Though I thought I was the one supposed to ask the questions, and you were the one supposed to guess. Are you changing the rules on me, Pretty Boy?”

“I just mentioned it because ‘The Little Hearts’ Foundation, which is the center where the kidnapped kids were brought to, received an anonymous and untraceable donation of that exact amount four days ago.”

“Hm. What a funny coincidence.”

“Indeed.”

“You still haven’t answered my question, Alexander.”

“The first edition of ‘The Book of the White’, written by an anonymous author, though many experts are certain it was one of Sammael Serpent’s works, dated back to the late 1700s. My team and I missed you by about two hours.”

“How delightful! You are already starting to anticipate what’s on my ‘to steal’ list.”

“I wouldn’t sound so happy about that if I were you. This means I’m this much closer to putting you in handcuffs.”

“Kinky. Now don’t get me wrong, I’m definitely not opposed to that, but don’t you think we should go on a date first?”

And on.

“Happy eight months anniversary!”

“Number one, that's a weird number for an anniversary. And number two, no theft to brag about today?”

“You know, I thought about it. I even had a most tantalizing target picked out for this special occasion. But it occurred to me that you might not enjoy this as much as I would. So I settled for the flowers and cologne. I wasn’t sure which option you would prefer, so I got both.”

“Yeah, I got them. I’m not even surprised that you were able to get two parcels into a secure, federal building, and set up on my desk, with no one being the wiser. They weren’t with the other mail we received, we checked the security footage. If not for that little note with the words ‘Guess what I just stole bought for you’, which clued me in about who the sender was, I would have insisted on doing toxins and explosives screenings on them.”

“You know I would never hurt innocent people. You especially, Alexander.”

“I know. Hence why I didn’t call the bomb squad.”

“I appreciate your trust. So, for future reference, are you more of a flowers, or cologne kinda man?”

“If you really want to give me something special, how about letting me arrest you?”

“But where would be the fun in that?”

“Magnus, I’m serious. I’ve been getting closer with every case. Last time, you had only just cleared the art gallery when we got there. I don’t mean to sound conceited, but it’s only a matter of time until I catch you. If you give yourself up, we can work out a plea deal. Get you a lighter sentence, in one of the nicer prisons. Considering that your tip about Iris Rouse led us to saving 17 children, I might even be able to convince the district attorney to drop a few of the charges against you.”

“And condemn you to going back to the doubtlessly boring cases you worked before me? Like that one against Lorenzo Rey? A talented forger he might be, but everything about him is just so… uninspired. It didn’t even take you three weeks to find his hideout. Well, if you can call that garishly extravagant mansion he had in Morocco a hideout. He has always been a pompous ass.”

“Nothing I can do to convince you?”

“... I’m sorry, Alexander.”

“It’s okay. I knew you wouldn’t go for it. Still had to try.”

“Always striving to do what’s right. That’s something I truly appreciate about you. Your integrity and honesty.”

“In light of that, I will give you this warning: I think I figured out what you will be going after, next.”

“Oh? Well, I will let you get back to planning the kind of trap with which to finally catch me and put an end to my dastardly schemes.”

“Wait.”

“Yes?”

“... I really like the cologne.”

“Noted, Darling.”

And ever so on.

Why were warehouses always so dirty? Not that Magnus hadn’t come prepared, wearing clothes he wouldn’t mourn the loss of later, but it was the principle of it all. 

You would think the head of a sizable crime organization would pick a better, cleaner place to store goods worth hundreds of thousands of dollars in. At least, according to Magnus’ research, (which was flawless, of course) this was the place where Valentine Morgenstern had stashed his latest to-be-sold-on-the-black-market goods. 

Goods that included one particular necklace of special worth to Magnus personally, and his heart wept at the thought of the precious jewelry being stored in this kind of abominable space.

A dirty, old warehouse by the docks was as cliché as a man like Morgenstern could get, but Magnus couldn’t deny that it served its purpose. There were dozens of these things around, papers of temporary ownership were easy to fake, police searches couldn’t be conducted without proper cause, and the people who usually worked in this area simply had better things to do than to report ‘suspicious activity’. 

So cliché it may be, but it had its roots in its effectiveness, if you wished to hide your definitely illegal and probably malicious activities from the eyes of the law. 

(Maybe he should say something to Alexander later, after his to-be-successful theft of the necklace.)

Magnus wasn’t too surprised when he spotted nine badly disguised henchmen guarding the warehouse and trying to blend in with their surroundings. Valentine was known to be a paranoid son of a bitch, though nine guys guarding one warehouse seemed to be a bit overkill. Maybe something more valuable, or dangerous than Magnus’ source had revealed to him, was stored away here.
(Yes, he would definitely inform Alexander of the warehouse’s location.).

But back to the matter at hand, Magnus had a necklace to find. 

Having to avoid the attention of nine guards made getting into the warehouse from one of the topside ventilation shafts a lot more challenging than initially planned, but nothing that Magnus couldn't handle. Finding what he was looking for in what he was sure would be at least a dozen crates, while nine guards were lounging around just outside, who could come in at any moment, would probably prove to be a bit more tricky. Hopefully Valentine hadn't ordered inside surveillance as well.

Now Magnus wasn’t helpless, and he could hold his own in a fight quite well. But he wasn’t much of a fan of guns, and he doubted that Valentine’s men would agree to an unarmed one-on-one. 

From his vantage point in the rafters, still close to the vent shaft he had gotten in from, the warehouse appeared to be blessedly empty of anyone armed and dangerous, and he couldn't spot any cameras. Magnus breathed a sigh of relief. 

He quickly found a way down to the ground, which he should be able to scale again later, and headed for the first crate. 

Before he could reach it, however, he was stopped in his steps by a soft gasp and the sound of shuffling. Whipping his head around to where the noise had come from, he was shocked at what he saw. 

A young boy was secured to one of the structural columns (legs tied together, arms wound behind his back around the column). A piece of tape over his mouth and a terrified look in his eyes as he stared at Magnus. 

Eyes that were the same shade of hazel as his big brother’s.

Magnus had studied the new Agent on his tail extensively, needing to know what he would be up against.

Not for anything sinister. Never to take advantage of or hurt him. Magnus was a criminal, but not that kind of criminal. 

He had just gotten… curious. The more he had learned about Alexander, the more he wanted to know. About his career in law enforcement, starting as a lowly cop, becoming one of the youngest detectives in his precinct, gaining the attention of the FBI after solving a particularly tricky case, to finally getting hired into the division he was currently working for, dealing with criminals who have evaded other agencies for too long. Like Magnus.

Magnus’ research into his Agent hadn’t been truly intrusive, but surface information, like the names and ages of Alexander’s siblings, had been included. As well as present-day photos. 

Which was the reason he recognized Maxwell Joseph Lightwood right away. 

He stuffed the questions that immediately filled his head (like what the hell was Valentine’s plan with the young boy, and was that the reason for the nine guard dogs outside), to the back of his mind, and quickly changed course to Max. Only to halt himself two steps in, as the boy’s eyes widened further in unmistakable fear as he tried to bury himself into the post he was tied to. 

Magnus held up his hands, doing his best to portray a calming voice. “Don’t be scared. I won’t hurt you, I promise. I’m just going to come over there and untie you, okay?”

Time was of the essence, as Magnus didn’t have eyes on the situation outside. (He should have listened to Ragnor and brought him along as a lookout. Not that he would ever tell Ragnor that he had been right, of course.)

Any moment one of the henchmen could come inside to check on things. Hell, Valentine himself could arrive at the scene. The head of the Circle wouldn’t have concerned himself with overlooking a simple storage normally, but obviously, something more than what Magnus had anticipated was going on here. 

But the thought of scaring the young boy further than he already was, had Magnus’ insides tie themselves into a multitude of unpleasant knots. So he allowed a few extra moments for Max to decide to believe his words and give him a nod before he came closer. 

“Okay, just keep calm, I will have those out of the way in a second.” He started talking in a low, measured voice, as he bent down and hurriedly undid the ropes around the boy’s ankles. Then he walked around the pillar to free Maxwell’s hands, only to spot a pair of shiny handcuffs on the boy’s wrists. 

“Okay, maybe a second and a half.” He wouldn’t be a proper thief if he didn’t have at least one lock pick on his person at all times.

A twist, a little wiggle, a small turn. The cuffs sprang open.

The boy brought his arms in front of him and flinched right away. His arms must have been in an awkward position for some time, and the sudden movement had hurt. 

Magnus quickly got back into Max’s direct line of sight. (Few things were scarier than a stranger you couldn’t see.)

Despite the discomfort his arms must have caused him, the boy got to peeling off the tape over his mouth right away. Magnus couldn’t contain a sympathetic wince when he saw the reddened skin left in its wake. Then he found himself the object of a piercing gaze, that seemed unsure whether it should be suspicious or hopeful. 

“Who are you?”

Thankfully the boy was keeping his voice down. They really couldn’t afford to alert any of the guys outside to their captive being free.

“My name is Magnus Bane. I actually know your-” 

“You are Alec’s thief!”

It was almost a shout and Magnus shushed the boy quickly. He held up his hand, signaling Maxwell to keep quiet, as he strained his ears to listen to any sound from outside. But as the seconds ticked by and no one had entered the warehouse, he breathed a sigh of relief.

“Sorry.” The boy whispered contritely. 

“It’s alright.” He assured him. “Let’s just make sure to keep our voices down from now on, okay?” He waited for a nod before he went on. “You are right. I’m the one your brother has been trying to catch these last few months. But I swear to you I’m not with the people who took you.”

To his slight surprise, the boy looked at him as if that had been the farthest thing on his mind. “Well, duh. I know that. Alec wouldn’t talk about you the way he does, if you were one of the really bad guys.”

That had Magnus perking up. “Oh? How does Alexander talk about- no, not the time or place for that.” He shook his head in the hope of getting his priorities straight. “Okay, first things first. Are you hurt?”

The boy shook his head, then shrugged. “My arms are sore, and my ankles hurt a bit where they were tied. But it’s not too bad.”

“Good. Do you know why these men kidnapped you? Has anyone said anything?”

Max shook his head again. “They didn’t say a lot. Just told me to be quiet and not do anything stupid. … Wait! The blond guy said to the tall black guy to ‘call him and tell him we got the Lightwood kid’ when they tied me up in here. Do you think they took me because of Alec and Jace? Because of an investigation or they want to blackmail them or something?”

He looked up at Magnus with wide eyes. 

“Unfortunately, that is a possibility. And it might also hint at something in the more immediate present, as I doubt they would grab you now just to hold you over your brothers in the distant future. Do you have any idea how long you have been here?”

The boy shrugged. “They took my phone, so I don’t know what time it is. I was heading back home from school when they took me. My last two periods got canceled because the teacher is sick, so that was about 12 o’clock.”

“Then it’s already been almost four hours. So we need to get you out of here sooner rather than later.” He stood up from his crouch, looking around, trying to think of the safest way to do this.

“How did you find me?” Maxwell asked, getting up as well.

“Pure coincidence. I actually came here to steal something inside of one of these crates. Stumbling upon the kidnapped brother of the Agent trying to arrest me was the last thing I expected.”

Max raised a questioning eyebrow. “I thought thieves are supposed to lie about their stealing.”

Magnus waved the comment away. “Lying is fine in a few situations. For example when playing poker, or telling someone that you are not throwing them a surprise birthday party. But otherwise, you reserve it for your enemies and people you don’t trust. I see no reason to deny who I am and what I do. I’m a thief. I steal things. It’s a choice I made a long time ago. Saying differently now would not only invalidate my decision back then, but also imply that I wasn’t willing to accept the possible consequences of that decision.” He answered absentmindedly, still trying to come up with the best way out of this unexpected situation.

He obviously wouldn’t be able to take out the guards outside, so the front door was out. Getting in through the roof had been tricky while on his own, and he doubted he would be able to parkour his way back the same way, with young Maxwell clinging to his back. Could he hide Maxwell in one of the crates and cause a distraction? Draw the guards away and give the kid a chance to escape? … No. Too risky. He wouldn’t be able to ensure that Maxwell would make it out unharmed.

Alright. Only one possibility left, it seemed. 

He turned his attention back to the boy who was anxiously looking around and fidgeting where he stood. “It’s not safe to stay here, we need to get on higher ground. Do you think your arms are well enough to hold on to me while I get us up there?” He pointed to where he had come in from before. 

Max looked up to the place with some trepidation, but then fisted his hands and nodded tightly. 

“And what do we do when we are up there?”

Magnus sighed deeply. “Then I make a call and accept the consequences of my decisions.”

Alec was falling apart. Not that anyone would be able to tell. 

It had been almost four hours now since his mother’s hysterical call that his little brother had vanished. 

Three hours since they had been able to confirm that Max had been grabbed on his way home from school, by masked people in a white van. 

Two and a half hours since police patrol had found that same van abandoned in an alley downtown.

And then nothing since. 

Alec and Jace had poured over all their ongoing cases, and each of their convicted felons, who had either been recently released or had people on the outside to help them with a little revenge against the agents. 

He had sent Underhill and Lydia to the police department to collaborate with the officers there about anyone under suspicion or open investigation linked to kidnapping cases, and other crimes against children. (The thought of some pervert having gotten their hands on his little brother made him want to throw up.)

Izzy was with their mother, trying to gather any additional intel about recent changes or occurrences. Alec hoped the two of them were able to hold each other together. God knows he and Jace were hanging on by a thread right now. 

Where Alec was trying his best to internalize his fear and keep a level head, his best friend and adoptive brother was a frantic mess of anger and anxiety. 

“Nothing. Nothing! How can there be fucking nothing?!” Jace slapped the last folder from his pile shut with a disgusted sneer. He stood up and started pacing, running his fingers through his hair wildly. “This is useless. We aren’t finding anything! We need to get out there and-”

“And what, Jace? Run aimlessly around like chickens with their heads cut off? We need a lead. A place to start looking.” Alec understood Jace’s feelings, he did. The need to just go out there and find something was running through his veins as well. But that wouldn’t get them anywhere, and might possibly make them miss the clue they needed to find their little brother. 

But Jace was too distraught to see reason. “We don’t have any leads! We don’t have any places to start looking! Goddammit Alec, we have nothing! We need to- we have to- Fuck!”

Before things could get any more heated, Lydia and Underhill stepped into the room. Alec was on his feet in a second. 

“Anything?” He pressed. 

But the two shook their heads.

“The police didn’t have any suspects of current investigations that could be tied into Max’s disappearance.” Lydia said in a regretful tone. 

“We have reached out to the handlers of undercover operations to see if they have anything, and Captain Garroway from the 10th promised to contact all precincts in the other boroughs.” Underhill added, trying to sound reassuring.

Jace looked ready to tear his hair out, and Alec honestly wasn’t far behind him on that, when suddenly his phone rang.

He all but ripped it out of his pocket. 

Unknown number. 

This could be them. Whoever took Max could be on the other end of that line. 

Thankfully his team knew that as well, and Lydia and Underhill hurried to their stations to trace the call, as Jace stepped closer to Alec. 

At Lydia’s signal that they were ready, Alec put the call on speaker. 

“Agent Lightwood speaking.”

“Guess what I just stole today?”

Jace threw his arms into the air in angry frustration and paced away, and Underhill and Lydia sighed and stopped the trace. The tension and stress of the last few hours at first left Alec and then doubled back at the sound of the familiar voice. 

“Magnus! I don’t have time for this right now, my little brother is-”

“Sorry, sorry! That was a horrible way to start this conversation. Seriously, my bad. Just hang on a second.”

“Look, I really can’t-”

“Alec?”

Everything screeched to a halt.

“Max?”

Jace was back at his side in moments, Underhill and Lydia coming closer as well. And then Alec lost his grip on every protocol he had learned in his years on the field, and the questions just came tumbling out.

“Max, are you okay? Where are you?  Are you safe?”

“I’m fine. I don’t really know where we are, but I think Magnus does. And I guess we are as safe as we can be?”

“What does that mean? What’s going on?”

“Hold on, I will let Magnus do the explaining.”

“Sorry again, Alexander. I really hadn’t thought my greeting through.”

“How did you find Max? How did you even know he was missing? You know what, I don’t care. Where are you?”

“A warehouse by the docks down in Brooklyn. Coincidentally, it’s in the same area where your team helped out the local police with their big drug raid a week or so ago. The number of the warehouse is 19b. There were nine armed men guarding the front when I got here, but I can’t be sure that that was all of them. The warehouse is filled with merchandise that Valentine Morgenstern was going to sell on the black market soon. He is likely the man behind your brother’s kidnapping.”

Underhill was typing in the information as fast as he could, and soon had the address of the warehouse on screen. Lydia was on the phone, organizing a response team and additional backup from the local police to contain the area. Jace remained close.

“We’ve got a lock on the warehouse. Can you two get out of there unseen?”

“No. Getting in proved to be a bit of a challenge already. I wouldn’t be able to guarantee your brother’s safety if I tried to get him out that way.”

“Okay. Are you in a safe place?”

“Just as young Maxwell said, we are as safe as we can be at the moment.”

“Good. Do whatever it takes to stay safe and out of sight of the guards. We will be there in approximately fifteen minutes.” Alec quickly turned to the others in the room. “Get geared up, I want to be on the road five minutes ago!”

Jace clapped him on the shoulder as he followed the other two out. 

“Magnus, we are going to come in hard and fast. Tactical teams and multiple police. We will have to surround the place securely to make sure Valentine’s men don’t get away.” It took all of a second for Alec to realize what was about to happen. What he was about to ask of the other man. “When we get there,- I .. I can’t-” He never would have expected the words to be so hard.

“I know, Alexander. I can’t very well leave your brother alone in this kind of dangerous situation. And when you get here and save the day, you will be duty-bound to arrest me. It’s alright. I knew what I was getting into when I called you.”

“And yet you called anyway.”

“I did.”

“... Thank you.”

“You can thank me by arresting me yourself. My reputation would go right down the drain if some rookie cop slapped their cuffs on me.”

“No one touches you but me, I promise.” The words came out in an almost growl, and if he wasn’t so emotionally wrecked right then, Alec might have had the sense to wonder about that. 

“I’m looking forward to it. See you soon, Darling.”

With that, the call disconnected, and Alec ran out of the room.

It went down beautifully. With the knowledge that his little brother was in safe hands, Alec’s mind was free to plan and strategize the takedown to maximum efficiency. The area was surrounded and civilians evacuated without any of Morgenstern’s men the wiser. 

When Alec gave the order, the men and women under his command had the guards swarmed in seconds. A few of them were able to fire a bullet or two, but none of Alec’s people or their colleagues from the police were hit. 

They had the guards down, disarmed, and in cuffs six minutes and twenty-nine seconds after arriving at the scene. 

Alec and Jace stormed into the warehouse as soon as the scene was secured.

“Max! Magnus!”

“Alec! We are up here!”

Their gazes followed their little brother’s voice up to the rafters, where they spotted him crouching on a hidden overhang together with Magnus. 

They watched further as Magnus then, Max holding on to his back, gracefully shimmied down the column connecting the little overhang to the rest of the structure. 

Alec grabbed his brother as soon as he was in reach, falling to his knees as he hugged him tightly. 

It was one thing knowing that his brother was safe, and another to have him in his arms again. The pressure, the fear, and anxiety that had been building steadily ever since his mother’s call were finally released. 

Thank God. Thank God. Thank God.

Max clung to Alec just as desperately, and Jace soon joined them on the floor. 

Alec distantly heard Lydia and Underhill entering and telling the other officers on the scene to conduct another sweep of the perimeter, keeping everyone else outside for just a few moments longer. Alec was going to give them a raise.

When he was finally able to let go of his little brother, he ran his eyes all over him. 

“You are okay? Really? They didn’t hurt you?”

Max was roughly wiping the tears off his face as he shook his head. “Just a little sore from where they tied me up. But it’s okay because Magnus used the handcuffs they put me in to teach me how to pick the lock.”

Magnus. 

Right.

Alec looked up to where the thief stood just a few steps away from them, a little smile on his face as he watched them. 

This was the first time that Alec saw him in person, instead of through a computer screen or photo in a file.

He had always thought that the man was handsome. Beautiful. Gorgeous. 

But in real life?

Magnus was... He was... 

Breathtaking. 

Most people would probably use this word to describe a scenery like the Great Canyon, or the Niagara Falls. A star-filled sky, or the polar lights. 

But Alec felt that the word should belong to Magnus Bane. 

It was only fitting, for a thief. One look, and he had stolen Alec’s breath. 

And with that thought, it all came crashing back down. Magnus was a thief. A thief he had been chasing after for close to a year now. A thief that had broken into more than a dozen museums and art galleries.

He stood slowly. 

A thief that had given Alec information which led to saving 17 children. A thief that had personally saved Alec’s little brother. A thief he enjoyed talking to. A thief he honestly, genuinely liked. A thief he was attracted to.

He walked straight to where Magnus was still standing, that same little smile on his face. 

A thief he had to arrest.

When just a single step remained between them, Alec came to a stop, staring deeply into warm, golden-brown eyes. Just as Magnus opened his mouth to speak, Alec did something that surprised even himself. 

He pulled the thief into a hug. 

“Thank you. So much. I… Just thank you.”

Having initially stiffened, Magnus relaxed into the embrace quickly and brought his own arms up and around the agent. 

“You are very welcome, Alexander.”

The hug lasted simultaneously too long and far too short, but Alec knew he had to step away. So he did.

“This isn’t how I pictured our first meeting.” He said, knowing he was stalling, but not ready to face the inevitable.

“Now you have me curious. How did you picture it? Me just waiting in your office one day to hand myself in to you? You swooping in to my rescue, as my latest endeavor pissed off someone far too powerful who had me at their mercy? Maybe even something as mundane as bumping into each other on the street? Do you mind if I picture you shirtless in these scenarios?”

He heard the amused snorts around him from his team and brothers, and couldn’t help the little laugh that escaped himself.

“Don’t flirt with me.”

He wished they could stay in this moment longer. He wished things were different.

“I’m sorry.” He said ruefully. But Magnus only shook his head.

“I told you, Alexander, I hold great appreciation for your honesty and integrity, and I knew what would happen as I made the call.”

“And you made it anyway.” He repeated his earlier words. It didn’t make him feel better.

Then Magnus winked at him. “Don’t worry, Darling. I always wanted to break out of prison.”

Then he held out his wrists in a clear sign. Nodding, Alec reached for his handcuffs. 

“Magnus Bane, you are under arrest.”

Alec felt ridiculously giddy, as he sat at one of the tables in the prison’s visiting area. Like some high school girl before her first date. 

This wasn’t a date. It wasn’t even the first time he visited his thief- Magnus. Not his thief. Magnus. It wasn’t the first time he visited Magnus in prison.

The first time, he had been accompanied by his whole family (minus his father, but Alec didn’t count Robert as family anymore). 

Alec had had to call in a favor with the warden to be allowed to bring this many people to see one of the inmates, but it had been well worth it. 

His mother had hugged Magnus and thanked him tearfully for what he did for Max. As had Izzy. Jace had opted to just shake his hand. Max had been overjoyed to see Magnus again and had proceeded to ask the man question after question about his many exploits. Most of which Magnus had answered without a second thought, and Alec had felt the constant need to censor the man, lest he implicate himself for crimes he hadn’t actually been prosecuted for. 

But today, Alec had come for something more than a simple visit. Today he had come with a particular proposition. And he hoped that Magnus would take it. 

The inmates were led in as the clock struck 14pm, and Alec wasn’t even the least bit surprised as he watched Magnus sauntering in, laughing with the guard leading the procession and exchanging general pleasantries with other prisoners. 

“Your wife has a marvelous sense of humor, Ricardo, you are a lucky man.” He said to the guard, who nodded. “I know.”

Then Magnus turned to the prisoner behind him and laid a steadying hand on his shoulder. 

“Just be yourself, Luis. He wouldn’t have come here today if he didn’t like you. You were being honest in your letters, right?” The other man nodded, and Magnus smiled. “Then I’m sure it will be just fine.”

On his way to the table where Alec was waiting for him, Magnus made one more stop beside an older woman (Alec would peg her to be in her late fifties or early sixties) and smiled brightly at her. “Indriana, beautiful as ever. I had to race your husband in order to be the first to lay eyes upon you.”

The old woman laughed, and laid her hands on Magnus’ cheeks to bring him down for a kiss on the forehead. “Such a charmer, Magnus. Now off you go, don’t keep your handsome fellow waiting.” She said, looking over to Alec and winking, which naturally made him blush. 

Magnus just laughed and quickly jogged the little distance separating him from Alec’s table.

“Should I be jealous?” Alec asked and cursed himself immediately for it. That was not what he had planned to say at all.

But Magnus just smiled and answered loud enough for the whole room to hear. “Everyone should be jealous when it comes to Indriana. That woman makes the best cookies on this side of the globe. But alas, she is frustratingly devoted to her scoundrel of a husband.” 

The words elicited a few laughs and yells of agreement around the room, as well as a playfully threatening fist shook in his direction by said husband, who had now arrived by his wife’s table.

Alec laughed. “You are incorrigible.”

“I was actually trying to be irresistible.” The look he gave Alec left no room for misinterpretation of just who Magnus wanted to be irresistible to. 

Alec tried his best to keep himself under control.

“Don’t flirt with me. I came here for a reason.”

“To light up my day with your gorgeous face. Mission accomplished.”

Alec tried really, really hard to keep himself under control. He laid the folder he had been holding onto the table and slid it over to Magnus.

“This is a contract for a confidential informant and adviser. White collar crimes and high-profile art theft has been on the rise for the last few years. You were one of the major players in the field, but also the one the higher-ups were the least worried about.”

Magnus raised an eyebrow as he opened the folder to take a look at the files inside. “Should I be insulted?”

“Remember our lists? Most wanted, non-dangerous. You have never been violent and never caused much, if any, collateral damage. Your thefts never endangered any of the owners, especially since you never took anything directly from their homes.”

Magnus shrugged, turning over a page as he continued reading. “Never felt right to encroach on someone’s private space like that. I have no interest in scaring people, or making them doubt the safety of their homes. And the other places were much more fun to break into anyway.”

Alec rubbed his brow. “Don’t say stuff like that where I can hear it.” 

But Magnus just grinned in answer, so he went on. “Anyway, these kinds of crimes have been on the rise for some time now, and law enforcement is struggling to even put a dent in it. I’ve been given the authority to form my own task force to take a stab at it. And I petitioned to take you on as an official consultant. If you agree to work with us on this, your sentence would be reduced from the 5 years you are facing now, to half that time. You would have to wear an anklet for the duration, and your movements would be confined to a certain radius in the city. I would be your handler and assume responsibility for you. You would be paid a regular wage, and the bureau would provide you with living accommodations. And when the thirty months are over, you are a free man.”

He was tempted to hold his breath. This felt like a breath-holding kind of moment. Like a moment that had the power to change his whole life, depending on Magnus’ answer.

The man himself was looking at him in undisguised surprise.

“That seems like a far too generous offer to make to a criminal.”

“I might have made a comment about Asmodeus Bane, and the brass might have jumped to the conclusion that you might be able to shed some light upon his person. Possibly enough to finally get him."

Magnus' whole demeanor changed in an instant. "Alexander... I haven't seen my father in years. I have no information about any of his businesses, and I never wished to be part of them."

Alec held up his hands placatingly. "I know. But if the implication could help me get what I want, I wasn't going to pass it up. And once it's done, they can't punish you for not providing information you don't have."

A small grin formed on Magnus' face. "That's quite devious."

Alec shrugged. "Valentine is still at large, and his men didn't even know why he had them take Max. He could try to get him again. He could bribe someone in here to get revenge on you. I'm not willing to take a risk with either of your lives. The best way to ensure both of your safety is to have you with me on the outside, to help track Valentine down. And you are not just any criminal. The facts that you brought Iris Rouse to our attention, and that the only reason I caught you was because you saved another child, my brother, weighed into the decision greatly. I wouldn’t go so far as to say that my superiors trust you, but they also know that you are not someone they need to protect the public from. Well, not in the way we usually do, anyway. Of course, the underlying goal of this all is that you won’t just go back to your old ways as soon as your alternative sentence is up.”

At that Magnus smirked. “Hoping to turn me into a good guy by making me work with them?”

“Hoping that you will find something worth giving up stealing for.” Had Alec maybe put a little more meaning into that sentence than intended? Yes. Was he looking into Magnus’ eyes imploringly and maybe even a bit beseechingly? Also yes. Was it working?

God, he hoped so. 

“You drive a hard bargain, Agent Lightwood.” 

Suddenly Magnus seemed insecure, untethered in a way he had never been before in all their talks. It had Alec worrying. Was this a bad sign? Had he come on too strong? Was Magnus going to refuse?

“You don’t have to decide right away, you know? I’ve been cleared to give you up to two weeks to make up your mind about this. And if you have any questions about it, you can ask me.”

Magnus looked to be contemplating everything he had just heard, turning over another page in the folder, but not really reading it. Alec’s palms were getting sweaty. Why was this making him so nervous? Why did this mean so much? (Deep inside, he knew why. But he wasn’t ready to face it yet. Not before he had Magnus’ answer)

“Actually,” Magnus spoke after what seemed like an eternity. “I do have one question.”

“What is it?”

“What are the rules regarding fraternization between gorgeous FBI agents and their dashing C.I.s?”

As much as he probably should have expected such a question from the other man, it still had Alec floundering. “A-actually... They changed those… very recently?”

“Oh?” Magnus made an interested noise and Alec managed to get himself together again.

“Yeah. It’s frowned upon, but uhm… Feelings happen. Especially between people who work closely together. Trying to fight or hide them from being discovered actually has caused more problems down the line than just allowing these relationships to form. As long as no one is being taken advantage of and the job itself isn't getting compromised due to the relationship, the bureau doesn’t interfere.”

Magnus looked at him in a way Alec couldn’t identify, but he felt himself blush nonetheless. Then Magnus smiled.

“So where do I sign, Pretty Boy?”

It had taken another week for everything to be processed through the right channels and for all the necessary preparations to be made, but on Monday morning, 8:30 am, Alec stood waiting beside his car at the gates of the prison, where Magnus was just being escorted out.

Again, Alec was not surprised when the security guard said goodbye to Magnus as he would to a good friend. (He tried not to be jealous about the too intimate for his liking hug as well)

He wiped the thought from his mind as soon as Magnus came up to him with a bright smile on his face. 

“Alexander. So nice of you to pick me up.”

“Seeing as I’m required to put this on you,” he held up the anklet the department had issued him, “it only made sense.” Then he bent down to fasten it around Magnus’ right ankle.

“Ah, right. How could I forget? Big brother will be watching me for the next two and a half years.” The other man sighed, but didn’t sound too upset about it. It gave Alec hope.

“Better than five, right? And this way, you won’t have to share a shower with a bunch of other guys.” Other guys who had seen Magnus naked. Alec was not thinking about that. 

“I wouldn’t mind sharing a shower with one particular guy.” Magnus grinned, looking directly at Alec, who did his best to beat down a blush from spreading. Feeling the weight in his pocket helped with that, as he quickly fished out the precious item and held it out to the man beside him. 

"Happy one year anniversary." 

Magnus' eyes were wide in disbelief as he looked at the necklace. "Alexander, this... this is... how did you..."

He had never heard Magnus be unable to form a proper sentence, and if it wasn't such a clearly emotional moment for the thief, Alec would feel quite smug. 

"When we confiscated the stuff in the warehouse, I was completely stumped about what you had possibly wanted to steal. None of Morgenstern's stored goods were the kinds of things you usually go for. And then I saw this necklace. 'The Vampire's Tear'. A priceless jewel that Asmodeus Bane gifted his bride on their wedding day. This belonged to your mother, right?" Alec asked the question softly.

Magnus nodded slowly as he carefully, reverently, took the necklace in his hands. "She wore it every day. Said when I was a baby, it was always this necklace I would grasp in my hands. Not her hair, clothes, or anything else. Just this. The only day I ever saw her without it, was the day she took her life. For the longest time, I thought that was why she died. That the necklace has been her good luck charm, that kept the demons at bay. And that by taking it off, they were able to get to her. Make her kill herself. I know it's stupid, but this necklace helps me remember her as she was beyond her depression. When she was happy."

"Hey. You don't have to explain yourself to me. And for what it's worth, I don't think it's stupid." As he looked into his eyes, he hoped Magnus believed him, because it was nothing but the truth. 

After a few moments, Magnus nodded. "Are you sure I can have this? Isn't it part of the investigation, or something?"

Alec shrugged. "Technically it's our duty to restore the stolen goods to their rightful owners. As this belonged to your mother, and no one else has a legal claim on it, it's only right that it be returned to you. I may have sped up the process a bit to be able to give it to you today, as it was exactly one year ago on this day that you called me for the very first time to taunt me with your various thefts."

For a second, Magnus' lip trembled, and he swallowed heavily. "Thank you, Alexander. You don't know what this means to me."

He smiled. "You are very welcome, Magnus."

They stared at each other, lost in the moment and the other's eyes.

Then Magnus sighed. “I do regret one thing though.”

“What’s that?” Worry crept into his voice. Had Alec done something wrong?

“I never got the chance to break out of prison.” Magnus pouted.

The worry and tension that had begun building up were exchanged with fond exasperation, and Alec shook his head with a smile. “Just get in the car.”

“You are so cute when you are serious.”

“I told you not to flirt with me.”

And then, after a year of conversations and flirting and conflicting feelings and slowly falling in love, Alec finally did what he had wanted to do for far too long. He backed Magnus against the car, fisted his hands into the other's shirt, and kissed him for all he was worth.

The End?